The Stag and the Doe- A Marauder's Tale
by Gyotso
Summary: The Patronus charm, a beautiful piece of magic empowered only by the strength of the heart and good memories to drive back the forces of sorrow and despair. What happens when the Marauders year learns what it takes to cast such a charm? How will Lily react with the information that James' Patronus, and her's, are a match pair? Set in the Marauder's SIXTH year


**Admittedly, inspired by a headcanon that circulates throughout the many Harry Potter FB pages I follow. All credit goes to them and the Queen Rowling herself.** ** _I assure you my lady, we have never renounced the old ways!_** **Harry Potter 1997-** ** _Always  
_** **Set in the Marauders era, specifically in the tail end of their sixth year of Hogwarts.**

* * *

It had happened because of an attack.

The students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were, as children often were, ignorant of the rising strength of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, that is until one of their friends was caught in the middle of the war.

Brennan Mallory was a sixth year NEWT student at home for the Easter holiday when the Ministry received intelligence concerning the whereabouts of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, prompting them to send a legion of their best Aurors and a squadron of Dementors to the address of 926 1997th Street.

The intelligence was, of course, inaccurate and a trap. The masked Death Eaters were waiting and blasted their way through the Auror team, sending the Dementors back toward the house of one Brennan Mallory, whose father was one of the Auror's killed in action just moments before.

The brave, but foolish, half blood Hufflepuff student went out to engage the Death Eaters, not fully realizing the dangers of entering battle as a barely of-age wizard on the side of forces that could neither be trusted nor controlled.

He could feel it even more, the despair, the hopelessness of battle, the fear of death, the urge to run away. But he did not run because he could not. It was not until he felt himself collapse onto the ground did he realize that the Dementors had no means to discern between their enemies and their potential allies.

They could sense only his pain as he'd just witnessed his own father's death, and he passed out from both the cold and the Dementor's Kiss.

 _Back at Hogwarts  
_ -

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were in hushed tones as the students for Defense Against the Dark Arts poured into the classroom, at the moment being taught by a woman by the name of Hecate Goldhert, whom had already decided that she would not be returning for a second year of teaching following the rumors of the job's jinx.

"Listen up," Goldhert called, walking into the room with such bravado that one might have thought she was the first contestant on a game show with a celebrity date as the prize. "I know many of you have heard the stories about Mr. Mallory, and I assure you that the Ministry is doing everything in it's power to make right the situation."

"Professor?" A soft voice asked, raising her hand.

"Yes, Miss Evans?"

"I've read about Dementors, and I was wondering, why would they have attacked Brennan?" Lily asked, her red mane falling cutely on her shoulders (a fact one James Potter noticed immediately upon her arrival to class).

"A good question," Goldhert mused. "A dementor cannot see. Their powers lie in sensing trauma or despair, and therefore inducing it. It is rumored, don't take my word for it, that Mr. Mallory was a witness to his father's own murder at the hands of Voldemort's followers."

There was a sudden gasp in the students that were taught, from a young age, to fear the true name of You-Know-Who.

"Professor?" Another hand was raised.

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

Lily rolled her eyes. 'What did _perfect_ Potter have to say about this?'

"I was wondering what it would take to protect yourself, or someone else, from a Dementor?" Lily raised her eyebrow, it was a fair question. "My dad said it was called a Petroleum charm?"

Lily forced herself not to laugh, knowing that James likely had no idea that Petroleum was a type of fuel. The other muggleborns and half bloods did not show as much tact, laughing like idiots at James "Perfect" Potter.

Even Goldhert smiled, "A _Patronus_ charm, James, is used to defend against the malicious powers of the Dementors. The idea behind it is that a single bright, happy memory could invoke such a strong magical reaction that would drive out the depression and sorrow felt from a Dementor's Kiss. Which," Goldhert continued, "is what we'll be learning this week."

She went into a lengthy explanation of the origins of the Patronus charm, as well as a description that basically translated to your souls would marshal under the construct of a full-bodied Patronus. Most would be animals, reptiles, or other critters, and all would have something to do with who you were.

The class broke off into groups of four, Lily joined her friend Mary Macdonald along with a couple Ravenclaws that happened to be in DADA at their time.

It took her a while to marshal even a wisp, the events of last year lurking in the back of her brain.

 _Mudblood_ , he had called her.

She spent the following week practicing whenever she could, anxiously awaiting that Friday afternoon where the class would be performing their Patronuses in front of each other for a test grade.

As a prefect, hoping to be made Head Girl the next year, she had to set an example in all of her course work. She'd achieved the highest marks in nearly all of her classes, short of Defense Against the Dark Arts where James Potter had managed to edge her out at every turn.

The order was selected merely by last name roll call in alphabetical order, leaving a young Sirius Black to go first.

 _You can come live me with my family,_ James had told him the moment he'd discovered that he'd run away from home instead of having been just dropping in for a visit.

 _"You're always welcome here," Mrs. Potter said warmly, baking cookies to help him feel better._

And for the first time, outside of Hogwarts, he had a home.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A great dog flew out of his wand, leaping from table to table, prompting a full mark response from the teacher.

A few other NEWT students went by.

"Lily Evans."

She tried not to think of _arrogant_ Potter, whom despite having requested this assignment, was leaning back in his chair without a shade of a concern about what form happiness takes for him.

It was hard at first, but then she remembered Severus's face when Gryffindor won the House Cup last year thanks to some last minute points from the Head of Slytherin House for James Potter's selfless act of heroism on behalf of Severus Snape.

 _"Headmaster," the Professor interceded before awarding Slytherin the Cup for the first time in several years as Gryffindor had many of the sharpest minds in the school. "I would like to award a small allotment of points to a student who has exemplified bravery in recent weeks and has never asked, no received, proper recognition for it."_

 _"Very well," Dumbledore said, with a twinge of curiosity as the Head of Slytherin House proceeded._

 _"Many of you are aware that only a few weeks ago, one of our classmates was put in grave danger as the result of a horrendous prank gone terribly gone." Severus Snape could be seen glaring at Sirius Black, whom was looking oblivious to the words of the professor as that prank was the result of detention every Saturday night from then till graduation. "But a young student, whom many of you know for his skill on the pitch, chose to set his personal issues aside in the protection of his fellow man. James Potter, I award you sixty points."_

 _James looked perplexed, feeling all eyes on him as Professor Kikalos had literally handed them the House Cup by a ten point margin no less._

From the tip of Lily's wand burst a brilliant doe that pranced around the classroom.

Sirius stared from the doe to his best friend, whose jaw had hit the floor. Peter and Remus shook him out of his daze.

"Oh no," James whispered.

"That's a good thing, Prongs." Sirius tried to tell him again and again as the row continued along until Remus was next. "Good luck Mooney."

"But if her friends find out," James thought about it quickly. "I won't let them."

"You're gonna take a zero?" Peter exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Is there a problem gentlemen?"

"No Professor," Jame said quickly. "It's just that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the large group."

Anyone who knew James knew that he did not have stage fright, rather he loved it. Being the center of attention was everything he'd been all his life by his caring parents, the teachers who saw him as a bright student with a long, influential future, as well as many of his classmates who saw him as one of the best (if only a large bit arrogant) in the entire school.

"Are you asking me to fail you on this assignment?" Goldhert asked, having noticed James produce a full-bodied Patronus on his second day of practice.

"May I take it later?" James begged, his eyes gleaming with plea.

"Very well," Goldhert sighed, seeing no difference in taking it now or later. "But I expect a brilliant Patronus for my patience, Potter."

"Yes mam."

Remus, whom had needed James's help incessantly on this assignment, felt all the eyes fall on him.

'Think Mooney, what form is happiness?'

He thought of many great adventures with the Marauders, wondering which of them were the strongest. That is, until he remembered a time before the Marauders became who they were in their first year at Hogwarts.

 _"Now you know," Remus sighed, James having put it together at last._

 _"We're all right, Remus." Sirius insisted, patting his friend on the back._

 _"We're still your friends," Peter said squeakily._

 _"But I'm a monster."_

 _"Please Remus, you fold your socks. Do forgive me if I'm not trembling at the sight of you."_

And then again, just a few short weeks after the start of their second term.

 _"I've got it," James said, messing up his hair as they left Herbology. "We can become Animagi."_

 _"What?" Peter asked._

 _Remus said quickly, "Now ay. It's too dangerous. Heavens, do you know what could go wrong?"_

 _"Do you know what could go right?" Sirius argued quickly, having been doing a little research with James at night where they could hide under the latter's cloak of invisibility and sneak into the Restricted Section. "We can still be with you even when you transform. You're only dangerous to people, not animals."_

And it was decided.

"Expecto Patronum!" Remus said triumphantly, at last knowing what a full bodied Patronus would look like for him.

Peter followed shortly after, thinking brightly of the time that James and Sirius, the coolest guys in their year, stopped Severus Snape and his friends from picking on him for being short and stubby, thus nursing the grudge between the Slytherin boy and the Marauders as they soon came to be called.

"Expecto Patronum," he screeched, a small mouse looking thing appearing for a few moments and then dissipating.

The Marauders disappeared at James's insistence to follow up on the play that he had "stage-fright", but, unknown to him, a young girl stayed behind to watch what perfect Potter was hiding.

Where his friends had pictured themselves together as the tight-knit group they were, James had a different source for his happiness.

He would never be able to tell, and have her believe, that he loved her as much as he could with his entire essence. She'd long since loathed him for his actions against Snape, often retaliatory for his bullying of people less powerful than him. Although, admittedly, he had provoked Snape time and time again to try and impress Lily Evans.

He'd been declining dates to Hogsmeade from fan girls of Quidditch, admirers of his academic skills,even one of the most sought after girls for seventh years as a fifth year OWL student. All because he couldn't look at another woman without picturing Lily Evans.

"Expecto Patronum," his voice was quiet, but the stag that jumped out of his wand illuminated the room so much that Goldhert might have gone blind from staring at it so intently.

This time, it was Lily's jaw that dropped.

"Top marks, and ten points for Gryffindor," Goldhert informed him, following a knowing nod that confirmed that the professor had not believed his story about being afraid of performing before others. He'd a many times heard the rumors about James Potter's crush on Lily Evans, and felt a commanding fleet of respect for the boy who set his feelings aside for someone else.

Lily had her heart in her mouth, but managed to collect herself before taking a couple steps back.

"Why─?" But she knew. James "perfect" Potter had not embarrassed Lily when he knew he could have solid evidence that they were "meant" to be together (or, at least in his mind). He'd known they were a romantic match, as king and queen of the forest, and yet he did not take the opportunity to reveal it to her because he knew that she didn't feel that way for him. Their Patronuses were literally a match pair, and he didn't force that on her. Rather than start an inevitable bunch of rumors, he chose her before himself and opted to refuse that fate upon her.

'More than Severus ever did,' she thought to herself before she could help it.

It was then that she realized that James, although an arrogant toe rag, usually acted in the benefit of others. She'd never been sure, but there were rumors that Severus, Mulciber, and Avery had been teasing Peter Pettigrew about his poor performance in class and had actually started using magic against the small boy until James Potter stood between them and got them to back off. And then he saved Snape, the person he likely loathed most in the world for his friendship with Lily, because it was the right thing. Not because there was any personal benefit. Just because it was _right_ to do so morally.

 _"Apologize to Evans!" James had demanded, the moment Severus had called her by the unforgivable word._

She'd been so full of anger at James, his friend Sirius, and Severus for everything that had happened. They'd hated each other for years, and always made it a point to duel when near each other no matter how much trouble they got into. The only difference was, were this the real world and not school, Lily was confident that Severus would be willing to kill.

"Lily, I mean Evans." James said, shocked to see that she was standing so close to the door. "What─ what are you doing here?" He stammered, nervous that she might have seen his Patronus through the door's keyhole. "Come to give me that date to Honeydukes?" He added with obvious fake-cockiness that could have had its bluff called by a troll.

"No James," she said, kissing his cheek before thinking more on it. She walked away slowly, hoping he might walk with her back to the Gryffindor common room.

Unfortunately, he was too mesmerized by the fact that Lily Evans had just kissed him, if only on the cheek.

"Aren't you coming back to the Tower?" She asked when she was ten yards down the corridor.

"Um─ yes?" He hurried after her, not sure how or why it was happening.

They didn't talk at all on their way to the seventh floor, although several people noticed the unlikely pair as they walked significantly closer to each other than one would expect from two people, one of whom hated the other, and the other was in total adoration of her.

Then the rumors began, and nobody but the Marauders and Lily knew about the Stag and the Doe.

* * *

 **I've been thinking about this headcanon for a while, and can honestly say I loved every bit of it. I did a lot of research to verify dates, approximate times of certain events, and barely had to touch "Author's Universe" to piece it all together. The only parts that I made up without serious evidence is the introductory scene with Brennan Mallory (also a character I created to serve my purpose, whose name means "sorrow/sadness and unfortunate/ill-fated" because I know how much JK Rowling enjoys her name meanings).**

 **I'm strongly considering making a fully fledged Marauders story and would invite some constructive criticism to help me decide if I captured the character's correctly.**

 **As always, review, follow, favorite, and have a WONDERFUL day my fellow Potterheads.**


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